Densho Digital Archive
Manzanar National Historic Site Collection
Title: Sachi Kaneshiro Interview
Narrators: Sachi Kaneshiro
Interviewer: Richard Potashin
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date: May 13, 2009
Densho ID: denshovh-ksachi-01-0013

<Begin Segment 13>

RP: So your transfer five months later finally came through to go to Heart Mountain.

SK: Oh yes, right, uh-huh.

RP: How, do you remember...

SK: How did I feel?

RP: Yeah. Do you remember the day that you --

SK: (...) I expected to jump up and down for joy. I felt very down. Because I had already, well, I had developed another family with Maki and (the social worker) we called (...) Miss T. They kind of took me under their wings and... when we were in that one unit we spent so much time just talking. And there's two social workers and, well, this other gal and me. They were so rich in experience that I learned a lot from them and I really felt like I was leaving (my) family again. But once I got over that initial feeling I began to look forward to, to going to Heart Mountain. It was strange the way it worked out because I had been longing to see my family and worried about them and everything. (But when my transfer was approved), it was a letdown. But, anyway... Maki said, "Well, this is your first step to freedom." Then she told me that she herself had received a letter. She was given a scholarship by the American Friends Society in Pennsylvania to attend school there for another graduate degree. (...) She hadn't told anybody yet but she was telling me that she would be leaving soon. So that made me feel a little better.

KP: Can I just ask a quick question? One of the things that they talked about in camp, or a lot of people talked about is here you are, a college graduate, and a lot of times just being in the camp, that stimulation that you're used to in terms of conversation and intellectual stimulation just wasn't there. But it sounds like you kind of found a group of people that allowed you to kind of continue that... but what do you think about the rest of the people of the camp? Do you think that was a concern?

SK: I don't think anybody was as privileged as I was because (they were) two top social workers. They were leaders in their field and, and they just shared so much with me. It even made me choose social work as a profession when I got out of camp. (...) They came from a different kind of environment. Like I said, everyone else was from the country. They were from the big city. And they not only were educated but they had a lot of experience under their belts. So, it was just a real learning for me.

RP: How did you travel to Heart Mountain? Was it by train?

SK: Train. Oh yeah. Boy, it took a long time getting there.

RP: Did you travel alone or did you have...

SK: No, I was alone and I just remember the last lap was so hard because it was snowing and I had bought a three-piece suit from Sears. I had mail ordered it. And I thought, oh, that'll keep me warm. But I was freezing by the time we arrived there. (...) I was inside the coach. But it was so cold. When I got out (...) into the truck (...) that was waiting for me, at least he had the blower on. I don't think they called it heater. And it felt warmer. But I think I mentioned to you that once I got into the (family's) unit I couldn't talk because of my, I was... do you remember that?

Off Camera: Yeah. You were cold.

SK: I couldn't talk until I got thawed out. It took about half an hour I think around the stove to get thawed out. My lips were (chapped), my teeth were chattering so much. I was probably purple by that time.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2009 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.